


Higk Sckool 

Act 



INFORMATION AND 
REGULATIONS 




ISSUED BY 

O. B. MARTIN 

STATE SUPERINTENDENT 
OF EDUCATION 

COLUMBIA, S. C. 






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To Communities Desiring High 
Scnools 



THE LEGISLATURE at its recent session 
made some marked improvements in 
the High School Act. The most strik- 
ing of these are the following: 

A single district may establish a high school. 

Trustees of the common school will be trus- 
tees of the high school in all districts under 
the amended Act. 

In rural high school districts aid may be 
given where there are only fifteen pupils and 
one teacher in the high school department. 

High school taxes must be voted by the peo- 
ple just as other special taxes are voted. 

The basis of aid will be the character of 
work and enrollment of pupils rather than the 
financial basis. Of course there is a financial 
limit. It will be impossible for a community 
to get aid unless it makes improvements. Aid 
may be given to a high school district which 
does not contain an incorporated town of more 
than 2,500 people. There are other details in 
the Act and regulations which I believe will 
conduce to a better understanding and a 
better working of the High School Law. 

Naturally it takes time and thought to work 
out a high school system which is in itself a 
component part of a State public school sys- 
tem. I believe that within the next few years 
we shall go a long way towards putting a high 
school within the reach of every boy and girl 
in every county. The lower grades as well as 
the colleges and universities will very soon feel 
the beneficial eff'ects of this work. 

The procedure in securing a high school is 
not difficult. This office has furnished to the 
county superintendents some petition forms. 
It is necessary to pass these around in the 
proposed territory and get the signatures of at 
least forty per cent, of the freeholders. As a 
rule this not only gets their consent, but it 



secures their interest. After the petition is 
signed it should be sent to the County Board 
of Education. This board will designate a day 
for an election. The public school trustees 
will be the election managers. The question of 
a high school tax may be voted upon in the 
same way and at the same time, or it may be 
voted upon at a different time. If a majority 
of the voters favor the high school, an applica- 
tion should be made out and addressed to the 
State Board of Education. This application 
must first be filed with the County Superin- 
tendent of Education, and approved by him. 
Forms for this application may be obtained 
from County Superintendents or from this 
office. When the application is received by the 
State High School Board, the school will be in- 
spected by an inspector representing the said 
board. If it is found that the school has com- 
plied with the law and regulations, the aid will 
be disbursed through the County Treasury, as 
provided by the Act. 

There are a great many communities through- 
out the State where the advantages of this Act 
ought to be secured as early as possible. I 
believe that a great many schools will qualify 
by the time the session opens in September. 
Sincerely, O. B. MARTIN, 

State Superintendent of Education. 

Columbia, S. C, AprU 3, 1908. 



Higli Scliool Act 

As Amended February 19, 1908 



Section 1. That it shall be lawful for any 
common school district which does not contain 
an incorporated town or city of more than 
twenty-five hundred inhabitants or for any 
county, or for any township, or aggregation of 
adjoining townships, or aggregation of adjoin- 
ing school districts in which there is no incor- 
porated town or city of more than twenty-five 
hundred inhabitants within the State, to estab- 
lish a high school in the manner and with the 
privileges herein given. 

Sec. 2. That any high school territorial unit 
mentioned in Section 1 of this Act may estab- 
lish a high school by an election to be held 
in said proposed high school district upon the 
question of establishing the same; said election 
to be ordered upon the written petition of at 
least forty per cent, of the freeholders within 
the territory, addressed to the County Board 
of Education, said election to be conducted in 
all respects, including the requirements of 
those who are allowed to vote therein, as elec- 
tions are now conducted under Section 1208 
of the Civil Code of 1902, in reference to 
special levies for school purposes. If a ma- 
jority of the votes cast in each school district 
shall be "For High School," and not "Against 
High School," the high school shall be estab- 
lished, and become a body corporate, under the 
name and style of High School District No. 

, of County (the State 

Board to insert the number in order of its 
establishment in the particular county, and also 
the name of the proper county). If a single 
school district establish a high school, the 
Board of Trustees of that school district shall 
be the High School Board of Trustees. If any 
two or more school districts establish a high 
school, the Board of Trustees in that common 
school district in which the high school is 



located, together with the chairman or chair- 
men of the other common school district or 
districts within the high school territory, shall 
constitute the High School Board of Trustees: 
Provided, That the trustees of any special dis- 
trict in any incorporated town or city operat- 
ing under a special Act of the General Assem- 
bly, shall be trustees of the high school. 

Sec. 3. That the qualified electors and free- 
holders in any territory proposing to become 
a high school district, or any high school dis- 
trict heretofore established, shall be author- 
ized to vote a high school tax not exceeding 
two mills, by the same rules and xmder the 
same terms as special taxes are now voted 
under Section 1208 of the Civil Code of 1902: 
Provided, That any common school district 
within any high school territorial unit may 
vote itself out of the high school unit in the 
same manner as prescribed for its entrance 
into the high school unit: Provided, That any 
territorial high school unit which has hereto- 
fore voted for the establishment of a high 
school therein shall, upon compliance with the 
provisions of this Act, be entitled to the pro- 
visions and benefits thereof. 

Sec. 4. That any public high school already 
established, or aiiy number of high school 
grades in a public school already established — 
provided, it shall be organized and adopted as 
a high school by special election as prescribed 
in Section 2 of this Act — in any high school 
territory above described, may claim the priv- 
ilege of this Act: Provided, It conforms to 
the provisions thereof: Provided, further, That 
nothing in this Act shall be construed sis a 
repeal of any of the privileges granted them 
in the special Acts of the General Assembly. 

Sec. 5. That a high school maintaining a four 
years' course of study beyond the branches of 
learning prescribed to be taught in the com- 
mon schools of the State, and embracing not 
fewer than seven grades or school years, shall 
be known as a four-year high school; a high 
school maintaining a three years'course beyond 
the common school course, shall be known as a 
three-year high school; and one maintaining a 
two years' course beyond the common school 



course shall be known as a two-year high 
school: Provided, That any and all high schools 
established under authority of this Act shall 
include in the course of study instruction in 
manual training, especially in respect to agri- 
culture and domestic science. 

Sec. 6. The State High School Board shall 
provide for the inspection and classification of 
high schools under this Act. In doing this, it 
may invite the assistance of such members of 
the universities and colleges of this State as 
they may select, and their actual expenses shall 
be paid out of the fund hereafter appropri- 
ated from year to year, while actually engaged 
in the duties devolving upon them. 

Sec. 7. That the State Board of Education, 
as now constituted, shall constitute the State 
High School Board, with full authority to pre- 
scribe all such regulations as may not be 
inconsistent with this Act. The State High 
School Board shall provide rules for the appor- 
tionment and disbursement of the State aid 
to the high schools, giving due recognition to 
the number of years of the high school work, 
to the number of the courses of study offered, 
to the enrollment of pupils, the amount of in- 
dustrial or commercial training given, and to 
such other matters of local merit as may 
appear to the board proper after a careful 
examination of each high school: Provided, 
That not more than $500 may be given to a 
two-year high school, nor more than $600 may 
be given to a three-year high school, nor more 
than $700 may be given to a four-year high 
school: Provided, further, That an additional 
$100 may be given to a township high school, 
or to a high school embracing as many as 
six common school districts: Provided, fur- 
ther, That the board may give additional 
aid for industrial and cotottiercial courses: 
Provided, further, That the board may give 
to any high school levying a special high 
school tax of not less than one miU, twenty- 
five dollars for each and every common 
school district composing that high school unit: 
Provided, further. That no high school shall 
receive aid unless it has at least twenty-five 
high school pupils and two teachers in the high 



school department: Provided, further, That 
the board shall give aid to a rural high school 
with but fifteen high school pupils and one 
teacher: Provided, further, That no county 
shall receive more than five per cent, of the 
annual appropriation provided for under this 
Act. 

Sec. 8. The funds raised in the various coun- 
ties by taxation, subscription, or otherwise, for 
high school purposes, shall be placed in the 
County Treasury, together with any appropria- 
tion received from the State Board of Educa- 
tion, and shall be paid out only upon the order 
of the Board of High School Trustees, duly 
approved by the County Superintendent of 
Education, Both the Treasurer and the County 
Superintendent of Education shall keep ac- 
curate accounts of this fund, as is provided 
for other public school funds. 

Sec. 9. That each of the high school districts 
so established is hereby authorized to receive 
and use gifts, transfers, bequests or devises of 
property for corporate purposes, whether they 
be otherwise conditional, or whether absolute 
in their terms; and also to issue coupon bonds 
within the constitutional limit and to dispose 
of the same to raise money for the purpose of 
purchasing sites and the erection of buildings 
thereon, or for the purpose of purchasing im- 
proved property, suitable for school, or dormi- 
tory, or mess-haU purposes: Provided, That 
the question of amount of issue, and the rate 
of interest, and the time or times of payment 
of the principal, shall first be submitted to the 
qualified electors within the said high school 
district who return real or personal property 
for taxation, at an election to be held in the 
same manner as elections for special levies for 
school district purposes are now required to be 
submitted under said Section 1208 of said 
Code: Provided, That a petition for such elec- 
tion be first addressed to the Board of Trus- 
tees of said school district signed by a majority 
of the freeholders therein: And, provided, fur- 
ther. That an annual interest on said issue shall 
not exceed six per cent., and that the sale shall 
not be for less than par and accrued interest. 

Sec. 10. That the sum of fifty thousand dol- 



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lars ($50,000), or so much thereof as may be 
necessary, for each of the school years, be- 
ginning July 1st, 1907, be, and the same is 
hereby, appropriated to carry out the pro- 
visions of this Act, and the Ck)mptroller Gen- 
eral is hereby authorized to draw warrants 
upon the State Treasurer for such amounts, 
upon the order of the State Board of Educa- 
tion, duly signed by the Governor, as Chair- 
man, and the State Superintendent of 
Education, as Secretary: Provided, That every 
high school receiving aid under this Act shall 
enroU any high school pupil in the county 
where the school is located, free of tuition: 
Provided, further, That nothing in this Act 
shall be construed to mean that pupils of dif- 
ferent races shall attend the same schools. 

Sec. 11. This Act shall in nowise interfere 
with the high schools already established. 

Approved the 37th day of February, A. D. 
1909. 



Higli Scliool Regulations 



1. The application for State aid to a high 
school must be submitted to the Secretary of 
the State High School Board, through the 
County Superintendent of Education; applica- 
tions in order to receive consideration must 
be filed prior to October 1 of each year. 

3. After the application has been received an 
inspection and examination shall be made of 
each school and the condition of each high 
school district by a high school inspector. If 
such inspector makes a favorable report the 
school may be received by the chairman and 
secretary of the High School Board, subject 
to the approval of the said board, and the aid 
shall then be disbursed as provided in the high 
school law and regulations of the State High 
School Board. 

3. The high school inspector, or inspectors, 
shall also make an annual inspection of each 
school, and any school may be dropped from 
the list of those receiving State aid whenever 
such school falls below the requirements of the 
High School Law and regulations of the State 
High School Board. State aid may be with- 
held from any high school whenever it becomes 
evident to the said board that the teaching in 
said school is ineflBcient. The local high school 
board shall receive at least two months' notice 
before the withdrawal of aid. 

4. For a high school to receive State aid 
there must be at least two teachers devoting 
all their time to high-school teaching: Provided, 
That if a high school has in it but two teachers, 
one of whom is the supervising principal of 
the common school department, four hours a 
day actual teaching in the high school depart- 
ment by him shall be accepted as full time. 

5. Section 7 of the High School Law provides 
for aid to be given a rural high school with 
fifteen high school pupils and one high school 
teacher. A rural high school is one located in 



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a high school district which does not embrace 
an incorporated town or city. 

6. No aid shall be given to a high school 
unless the common school department has in it 
at least two teachers giving full time to teach- 
ing in the common school department. In no 
case wiU a high school be established if its 
establishment cripples the efficiency of the 
common school. 

7. No aid shall be given a high school unless 
aU the teachers in that department hold first 
grade certificates for teaching. 

8. High schools receiving aid shall continue 
in session at least thirty-two weeks in each 
scholastic year: Provided, That the High School 
Board may give aid to a school running as 
long as twenty-eight weeks if the circumstances 
justify the same. 

9. In each and every year's work in any class 
of the high school at least four separate studies 
must be offered. No recitation periods of less 
time than thirty minutes will be accepted: Pro- 
vided, That a recitation period in a rural school 
may be as short as twenty minutes. 

10. Nothing less than the course of study 
adopted by the State Board of Education 
for high schools, or its equivalent, will be ac- 
cepted as high-school work. The high-school 
course of study issued by the State Board of 
Education may be used without following the 
order as laid down in that course. 

11. State aid will not be given toward mak- 
ing permanent improvements such as buildings, 
seating, heating and other equipment. 

12. State aid will be given to a high school 
only when such aid goes toward increasing the 
efficiency of the school beyond what it was im- 
mediately previous to receiving the first 
appropriation. No aid wiU be given to a high 
school if such aid be used to decrease the 
amount of local support to the high school 
department. Improvements such as increase in 
the teaching time given in the high school, 
additional courses of study, lengthening the 
course of study and increase in the high school 
salaries, will count as increased efficiency. 

13. No aid will be given any high school un- 



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LitSKHKl ur <^uii<jrvt 



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less said high school is t 019 7.45-242 
comfortable building. 

14. No appropriation to any high school shall 
be paid until the school has been visited and 
reported on favorably by an inspector. 

15. Not more than half of the estimated ap- 
propriation to any high school shall be dis- 
bursed at the beginning of the session. When 
the final disbursements are made by the State 
High School Board the total appropriations to 
each school shall be fixed in proportion to the 
total number of accepted high schools, and the 
limits fixed by the High School Law. 



The R. L. Bryan Company — 59866 

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



019 745 242 



